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Former gang member given probation

A District Court judge gave a 23-year-old former gang member from Ruidoso Downs a chance to make a new life and placed him on probation at his sentencing March 15.

District Judge Karen Parsons sentenced Felix Romero Jr. to 364 days of probation and made it consecutive with the seven years of probation Romero is already serving. Romero had pleaded no contest to aggravated battery on Feb. 20 and returned March 15 to receive his sentence.

Romero and two other inmates at Lincoln County Detention Center beat up inmate Beau Hirsch in April 2012. Hirsch's attorney, Public Defender Todd Holmes, blamed the beating his client received on a Ruidoso News story that said Hirsch cooperated with law enforcement.

Hirsch is serving 15 years in prison for numerous burglaries in Lincoln and Otero counties. He was awaiting sentencing in a Lincoln County case when the three inmates held him down in his bunk and beat him.

Torrez said the detention center is a hostile place.

"It becomes more hostile when people do what your client did," Parsons said.

Williams said there was no possible justification for what Romero did.

"The people in the jail are not there because everything is just peachy in their lives," Williams said. "But he did take responsibility for what he did, sort of."

Romero's attorney said leaving the gang has put Romero in the position of being a target of beatings.

"(The gang) still wants their pound of flesh from him for leaving the gang," Public Defender Mariano Torrez said.

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"He learned he did not want to be involved in the criminal justice system or gangs."

Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Williams said she is happy to hear that Romero is out of the gang.

"He is going to have to stop associating with gang members," Williams said. "He says he just likes to wear red. Well, he is going to have to pick another color."

Red is used by the "North Side" gang, according to a former Ruidoso Downs police officer. The rival "South Side" gang wears blue.

"Indications are that (Romero) is making some serious intent to change the direction of his life," Williams said. "He is going to college. He is trying to provide for his wife and child."

Romero said he has changed.

"I am sorry for what I have done in the past," he said. "I am doing what I need to for my family."

Williams said the state would not oppose Parsons giving Romero probation and making it consecutive with his other probation.

Romero was in Lincoln County Detention Center in April 2012 because he was serving a six-month sentence for a probation violation. Parsons placed Romero on probation in March 2011 after he pleaded no contest to abandonment or abuse of a child, automobile burglary, theft of a credit card and conspiracy. In March 2011 Parsons sentenced Romero to seven years of probation for the crimes.

During the six months Romero served in jail for the probation violation in 2012, he and inmate William Smith wrote to the Lincoln County commissioners demanding vegetarian meals. Smith threatened a "hunger strike" if his demands were not met.

County Attorney Alan Morel referred the matter back to warden Arthur Anderson.